'At 70, I'm Excited To Kick Off My 3rd Innings'

'Even if I had the backing of a big corporate house, which I don't, in today's market, I wouldn't want the responsibility of making a Rs 300 crore-Rs 400 crore film.'

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Even today, Tridev's Tirchi Topiwale and Vishwatma's Saat Samundar Paar have feet tapping and fingers snapping.

Mohra still reminds one of a 'blind' Naseeruddin Shah and among Kajol's most applauded performances is Gupt, which earned her the distinction of being the first actress to bag a Filmfare Award for 'Best Actor in a Negative Role'.

Rajiv Rai, the director of these films, along with Yudh, Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat and Asambhav, and his producer-distributor father, Gulshan Rai, were among the biggest names in Bollywood, till he disappeared, following an attack on his life in July 1997.

Now, 20 years later, his name, and that of the family banner, Trimurti Films, film, Zora, lined up for an August 8 release. I Rajiv Rai says, "At 70, I'm excited to kick off my third innings."

Why haven't you made a film in 20 years?

When I look back, I realise that till Gupt I led a different life. That changed after the assassination bid and even though I survived and got a second janam, the years that followed were the darkest period in my life. We moved out of India and despite Gupt's super success, my career hit a roadblock. My mother kept assuring me that nothing would happen to me.

I kept telling myself that everyone goes through ups and downs, I would get through this too.I made two films, Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat in 2001 and Asambhav in 2004, in what I call my second innings. Then I lost my motivation.

What happened?